Most people dread getting up to go to work – especially if it is a Monday, and rainy at that. The thought of facing the world that is your workplace can be quite daunting to some. Whether they simply hate the commute, their job, the people they work with or the company they work for, it can make your life simply miserable. So many people have a degree or interest in something entirely different from what they are doing. That can make going to work even more frustrating…but if you work for Google, you will not have that problem. Google topped the Business Insider’s 2016 list of the 50 best companies to work for in America, based on exclusive data from PayScale. Google knocked Facebook from the number one spot in 2015 – they are ranked at number five this year.
PayScale does employee surveys, and the US employees that work for Google gave it high marks in a number of areas, including compensation. We all know that money is usually the driving force behind going to work – but if you are miserable every day, is it worth it? Many will take a pay cut for other inward benefits, including peace of mind or job satisfaction. Some employees want a job where they can feel that their job has some meaning or offers a chance to make the world a better place to live. According to PayScale, Google offers that opportunity and more to their employees.
Employers hope that their employees are satisfied with their jobs – no problem at Google. According to PayScale, 86-percent of Google employees are either extremely satisfied or fairly satisfied with their job. Google HR boss Laszlo Bock explains in his book, “Work Rules!” the key to Google’s success, as a workplace is constantly innovating, experimenting, and keeping things fun. What’s beautiful about this approach is that a great environment is a self-reinforcing one: All of these efforts support one another, and together create an organization that is creative, fun, hardworking, and highly productive.” Google’s unique work environment is highlighted by all of the perks the ‘Googleplex’ has to offer its employees. More than 64,000 Google employees can take advantage of free healthy and gourmet-like meals. Many companies offer a gym or free exercise room, but how many allow their employees to do their laundry? Google also provides generous paid parental leave and on-site child care. When a company treats their employees great, you get back a motivated and happy employee.
Google’s employees also believe that what they are doing makes the world a better place. According to the study, 73-percent find that their jobs are meaningful, but after all, Google’s company mission is “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.” Bock writes, “This creates motivation to constantly innovate and push into new areas. A mission that is about being a ‘market leader,’ once accomplished, offers little more inspiration. The broad scope of our mission allows Google to move forward by steering with a compass rather than a speedometer.” Google employees feel that meaningful, challenging products attracted them to Google in the first place, and that is what keeps them there.
Competitive salaries are also a driving factor in employee’s happiness. According to PayScale, the median salary of an experienced Googler is $140,000 – the second highest on the list. Employees with less than a year’s experience are averaging $93,000. One thing that Google does is pay employees doing the same job, drastically different salaries. While that may seem unfair, Bock explains that if they have an employee that has real talents or potential, they want to compensate them and give them a reason to stay. If you have ever worked somewhere, where there is a strict pay scale, and you are a hard worker and getting paid the same as a slacker just because they have ‘put in the time,’ it can be very frustrating.
How would you like to have a free WiFi enabled shuttle to take you to and from work? That is another perk that Google deploys for their employees. That is one of the reasons that only 28-percent of the employees work from home – why would you, when you get a free ride to work and a gourmet lunch once there? Employees claim that Google is flexible, and nobody stands over you while you are working. One employee said, “[But] don’t get me wrong — you’ll work a lot. But you don’t have to do all of it chained to your desk.”
Google’s employees report that 12-percent feel their job is not stressful – while that number seems small, only 53 of the Fortune 500 companies report low-stress levels. On-site massages, free fitness classes, free gym memberships and a generous vacation policy help employees to relieve their stress. While Google does have a more laid-back and less competitive work environment, that is not to say that Google does not expect high goals from their employees – however, the managers do not expect them to meet them, but use them as a learning process.Google offers many benefits to its employees, but you are always going to have personality conflicts or disagreements. Google tries to help with those problems, as well, by keeping a transparent workplace. If you have a problem with somebody, don’t bother going to your boss – email, call or meet the person and discuss your differences. It takes care of the ‘backstabbing’ that can go in a work environment. Maybe we should all go to our bosses and ask for a raise, more vacation, free massages, gym memberships and gourmet meals.